The present invention relates to a guide for guiding a seat belt in an apparatus for restraining a vehicle occupant.
A typical occupant restraint system for a vehicle includes a seat belt that has opposite ends anchored to the vehicle and is extensible about the occupant. Intermediate the ends, the seat belt extends through a tongue assembly and a guide assembly. The seat belt is drawn across the vehicle occupant and the tongue assembly is connected to a buckle to maintain the seat belt extended across the occupant. The guide assembly helps to position the seat belt across the occupant. In the event of sudden deceleration, such as occurs in a vehicle collision, the seat belt helps to restrain the occupant against movementrelative to the vehicle.
In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus for restraining a vehicle occupant in a seat of a vehicle includes a seat belt that is extensible about the vehicle occupant. The apparatus also includes a guide assembly for helping to position the seat belt around the vehicle occupant. The guide assembly includes a guide member that is rotatable relative to the vehicle seat about an axis. The guide member has an opening through which the seat belt extends in a first direction parallel to the axis. The guide assembly also includes a base member that has a support portion on which the guide member is supported for movement about the axis. The guide assembly further includes a retainer member that blocks the guide member from movement in opposite directions along the axis and maintains the guide member supported on the support portion for movement about the axis.
The guide member has a length and first and second opposite end portions spaced apart along the length. The first end portion includes a first channel for receiving a first end wall of the retainer member. The second end portion includes a second channel for receiving a second end wall of the retainer member. The first and second channels are movable relative to the first and second end walls when the guide member moves about the axis. The first channel includes first side walls that engage the first end wall to block movement of the guide member in opposite directions along the axis. The second channel includes second side walls that engage the second end wall to block movement of the guide member in opposite directions along the axis.